Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Ever wondered why some of us are pure mozzie-baits while others escape without a scratch?

Once, when we were out camping, mosquitoes ate me alive in my tent but my friends were untouched. And they were sleeping with their tent flaps open!

There seems to be an increase in mosquitoes lately and I am certain the hazeis driving them indoors. Those pesky little vampires are biting me and Josh to shreds but Hubby and Rodney are unfazed. Over here in the tropics, mozzies have always been a pain all year round but we are bugged by them more than normal these few months, no thanks to the haze.

I had always suspected that blood type had something to do with a mosquito's choice of feasting. Josh and I share the same blood type (O) and Hubby and Rodney are both type A. Curious, I googled for information. Turned out, I wasn't wrong!
Research has shown that people with Type O blood are twice as likely to get bitten than those with Type B. Type A was even less popular than Type B. Aww! This really sucks! I feel like I'm a blood donor to those little beasties!

Some interesting facts to share.

1 Blood-thirsty females can smell their dinner from up to 50 metres away!

2. Pregnant women are more likely to be victims as they breathe out larger than normal amounts of carbon-dioxide.

3. As adults breathe out more carbon-dioxide than children, mosquitoes prefer to munch on them.

4. Researchers think that genetics account for around 85 % of our susceptibility to mosquito bites. So if your parents are mosquito magnets, you are more likely to be as well.

5. In 2002, a Japanese study of 13 volunteers found that those who drank a single bottle of beer were more appetizing to mosquitoes.
The researchers believed drinking beer increases body temperature and the amount of alcohol in that is in a person’s sweat.

6. Mosquitoes tend to be attracted to people of a lighter skin. Bloody racists! LOL! And they prefer blonds too.

7. Mosquitoes will go for the most delicious item on the menu and if you are more tasty than your friends, you are likely to become the main meal of the day so choose your company accordingly, especially when you are hiking or camping.

Sunday, October 4, 2015

I woke up this morning with a bad headache, burning eyes and a sore throat - all the symptoms of breathing in bad air.

Once again, for the umpteenth year, we are engulfed by the dreaded annual haze. Schools closed for the second time this year as the API (Air Pollution Index) surpassed 200, meaning very hazardous and unhealthy air quality.

Acrid smoke billowing from agricultural fires in Indonesia is the cause of this perennial nightmare. On Saturday, as the haze worsened, an airport just outside Kuala Lumpur closed temporarily as visibility dropped to less than 400 metres. The condition is also risky to sea vessels without navigational equipment.

The haze crisis, the worst since mid-2013 continues to choke us year after year during the dry season, when agricultural land is illegally cleared by burning in neighbouring country Indonesia.

School children donning masks against a hazy backdrop

image credit - FreeMalaysiaToday

Image credit - Lim Huey Teng

We are told that Indonesia needs 3 years to solve the problem. Meanwhile, do we have to hold our breath until then even if it is causing health hazards to many whilst incurring hundreds of millions of dollars in economic losses? If this goes on, people and animals would start dropping dead one by one like flies.

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